A medical device communications network comprises a plurality of medical devices including either or both of a first number of surgical instruments and a second number of implants configured for subcutaneous implantation in a biological body. A corresponding plurality of wireless communication circuits are each mounted to a different one of the plurality of medical devices. Each of the plurality of wireless communication circuits is configured to broadcast medical device information relating to the medical device to which it is mounted and to receive information relating to any other of the plurality of medical devices. The network may or may not include a master wireless communications circuit configured to receive the medical device information broadcast by any of the plurality of slave wireless communication circuits and to broadcast the information relating to any other of the plurality of medical devices.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A medical device communications network comprising: a first surgical instrument having a first wireless communication circuit mounted thereto, the first surgical instrument configured for use in surgically preparing a patient's bone to receive a surgical implant and the first wireless communication circuit configured to (i) broadcast information associated with the first surgical instrument and (ii) receive information broadcasted from at least one other surgical instrument used during a surgical procedure, the first surgical instrument being one of a surgical saw and a surgical drill, a second surgical instrument having a second wireless communication circuit mounted thereto, the second surgical instrument configured for use in surgically preparing the patient's bone to receive a surgical implant and the second wireless communication circuit configured to (i) broadcast information associated with the second surgical instrument and (ii) receive information broadcasted from the first surgical instrument and any other surgical instrument is configured to broadcast information and used during the surgical procedure, and wherein the first wireless communication circuit of the first surgical instrument receives information broadcasted from the second wireless communication circuit of the second surgical instrument.
2. The medical device communications network of claim 1 , wherein the first surgical instrument is associated with a first device identifier code and the second surgical instrument is associated with a second device identifier code, and wherein the information broadcasted from the second wireless communication circuit of the second surgical instrument includes the second device identifier code associated with the second surgical instrument.
3. The medical device communications network of claim 2 , wherein the first wireless communication circuit of the first surgical instrument and the second wireless communication circuit of the second surgical instrument each include at least one of a visual indicator and an audible indicator.
4. The medical device communications network of claim 3 , wherein the first wireless communication circuit of the first surgical instrument is configured to activate at least one of its visual indicator and audible indicator in response to determining that the second surgical instrument is incompatible with the first surgical instrument based on the received second device identifier code associated with the second surgical instrument.
5. The medical device communications network of claim 3 , wherein the first communication circuit of the first surgical instrument activates at least one of its visual indicator and audible indicator in response to determining, based on at least one of the first device identifier code or the received second device identifier code, that the first surgical instrument is being used out of order relative to a predetermined surgical instrument usage sequence.
6. The medical device communications network of claim 1 , further comprising: a first medical implant configured for subcutaneous implantation in a living biological body, the first medical implant having a third wireless communication circuit mounted thereto configured to (i) broadcast information associated with the first medical implant and (ii) receive information broadcasted from at least one of (1) an additional medical implant, (2) the first surgical instrument, and (3) the second surgical instrument used during a surgical procedure.
7. The medical device communications network of claim 6 , wherein the first wireless communication circuit of the first surgical instrument receives information broadcasted from the third wireless communication circuit of the first medical implant.
8. The medical device communications network of claim 7 , wherein the first surgical instrument is associated with a first device identifier code and the first medical implant is associated with a second device identifier code, and wherein the information broadcasted from the third wireless communication circuit of the first medical implant includes the second device identifier code associated with the first medical implant.
9. The medical device communications network of claim 8 , wherein the first wireless communication circuit of the first surgical instrument and the third wireless communication circuit of the first medical implant each include at least one of a visual indicator and an audible indicator.
10. The medical device communications network of claim 9 , wherein the first wireless communication circuit of the first surgical instrument activates at least one of its visual indicator and audible indicator in response to determining that the first medical implant is incompatible with the first surgical instrument based on the received second device identifier code associated with the first medical implant.
11. The medical device communications network of claim 9 , wherein the first communication circuit of the first surgical instrument activates at least one of its visual indicator and audible indicator in response to determining, based on one or more of the first device identifier code or the received second device identifier code, that the first surgical instrument is being used out of order relative to a predetermined surgical instrument usage sequence.
12. A medical device communications network comprising: a first surgical instrument having a first wireless communication circuit mounted thereto, the first wireless communication circuit electrically connected to at least one of a first audible indicator and a first visual indicator, the first surgical instrument configured for use in surgically preparing a patient's bone to receive a surgical implant and the first wireless communication circuit configured to activate at least one of the first audible indicator and the first visual indicator in response to determining that the first surgical instrument is incompatible with one or more other surgical instruments used during a surgical procedure, the first audible indicator configured to emit an audible sound in response to being activated, and a second surgical instrument having a second wireless communication circuit mounted thereto, the second wireless communication circuit electrically connected to at least one of a second audible indicator and a second visual indicator, the second surgical instrument configured for use in surgically preparing the patient's bone to receive a surgical implant and the second wireless communication circuit configured to activate at least one of the second audible indicator and the second visual indicator in response to determining that the second surgical instrument is incompatible with the first surgical instrument or any other surgical instrument used during the surgical procedure, the second audible indicator configured to emit an audible sound in response to being activated.
13. The medical device communications network of claim 12 , wherein the first wireless communication circuit is configured to activate at least one of the first audible indicator and the first visual indicator in response to determining that the first surgical instrument is being used out of order relative to a predetermined surgical instrument usage sequence, and wherein the second wireless communication circuit is configured to active at least one of the second audible indicator and the second visual indicator in response to determining that the second surgical instrument is being used out of order relative to the predetermined surgical instrument usage sequence.
14. The medical device communications network of claim 12 , wherein the first surgical instrument is associated with a first device identifier code and the second surgical instrument is associated with a second device identifier code.
15. The medical device communications network of claim 14 , wherein the first wireless communication circuit of the first surgical instrument is configured to broadcast the first device identifier code to the other surgical instrument, and the second wireless communication circuit of the second surgical instrument is configured to broadcast the second device identifier code to the first surgical instrument or any other surgical instrument used during the surgical procedure.
16. The medical device communications network of claim 15 wherein the first wireless communication circuit of the first surgical instrument is configured to receive the second device identifier code broadcasted by the second wireless communication circuit of the second surgical instrument, and wherein the first wireless communication circuit of the first surgical instrument is configured to activate at least one of the first audible indicator and the first visual indicator in response to determining that the first surgical instrument is incompatible with the second surgical instrument.
17. The medical device communications network of claim 15 , wherein the second wireless communication circuit of the second surgical instrument is configured to receive the first device identifier code broadcasted by the first wireless communication circuit of the first surgical instrument, and wherein the second wireless communication circuit of the second surgical instrument is configured to activate at least one of the second audible indicator and the second visual indicator in response to determining that the second surgical instrument is incompatible with the first surgical instrument.
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February 11, 2011
February 7, 2017
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